Rose M. Jelalian Andrews, 87, personnel manager

Rose M. Jelalian Andrews, 87, formerly of Havertown, a retired personnel manager for Scott Paper Co., died Sunday, Dec. 2, of complications from Parkinson's disease at the Quadrangle, a retirement community in Haverford.

Born to Armenian immigrant parents, Mrs. Andrews grew up in Boston and West Philadelphia, where her parents operated Boston Meat Market.

She graduated from West Philadelphia Catholic High School in 1943 and earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1948.

That year, she campaigned for Henry Wallace, the Progressive Party candidate for president. After the election, she was offered a chance to assist Edward R. Murrow, the famed newscaster for CBS Radio in New York City.

She turned down the opportunity because her father was ill, her son, Jonathan, said. Instead, she remained in Philadelphia and worked for an insurance firm.

In 1957, she married John M. Andrews, with whom she had a son.

After she and her husband divorced in 1961, she went to work for Scott. Initially she was a group benefits administrator and then was a personnel services supervisor before managing the installation and operation of an automated personnel information system. By the early 1970s, she had mastered several programming languages, her son said.

For more than 10 years until retiring in 1984, Mrs. Andrews was manager of personnel relations at Scott. Throughout her career, she was a mentor to many young women, her son said.

When her two grandchildren were born, in 1994 and 1997, she cared for them several days a week and was always available to babysit, her daughter-in-law, Susan, said.

Mrs. Andrews is survived by her son and his family.

A funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at the chapel at Toppitzer Funeral Home, 2900 State Rd., Drexel Hill. Friends may call from 10.

Donations may be made to Parkinson's disease and Movement Disorders Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, 330 S. Ninth St., Philadelphia 19107.